I Promise You
by RayreeAnne
Summary: Secretly dating, Lucy Heartfilia and Natsu Dragneel take on a job with Happy when they run into some issues. Lucy is not feeling well, and, on top of that, trouble seems to find them. (Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail. Inspired by hannahbabeess from Tumblr.)
1. Chapter 1

**_Let's just say this for sure takes place after the Grand Magic Games Arc and down the road…_**

 **Chapter 1**

Summer is ending which means that autumn will be starting soon enough. Sometimes the days are warmer than expected while sometimes the nights are chillier than usual. Currently, the sun is setting and the colors in the sky are certainly beautiful. Pinks and blues are highlighting the wispy clouds.

Lucy, Natsu, and Happy are walking to where a job is since a pink-haired Dragon Slayer blatantly refused to take the train. The trio will arrive at their destination at a point tomorrow. In the meantime, they are able to enjoy the fresh air and wonderful countryside.

"Are we almost there?" Lucy whines as she plods along the dirty road. She is more cranky than usual and just wants to sleep since she is so tired.

"We'll be there before you know it, Luce," Natsu assures her. He is currently acting as a pack mule. His bookbag is on his back while Lucy's bookbag is over his chest. Both sets of straps are over his shoulders, and the extra weight is easy enough to manage.

"Aye, sir!" Happy agrees as he walks on the ground between them.

Being lightheaded is not helping Lucy in the slightest. "I just want to go sleEEEP!" She trips over a small rock, but manages to stay on her feet this time.

"Do you think that you'll make it?" Natsu asks, maneuvering behind Happy and Lucy so he can be on her right side. He makes sure the rolled up blanket sticking out of his bookbag does not accidentally knock into the back of her head. Not that he will admit it, but he is slightly worried about Lucy. She is not acting like one hundred percent herself.

She waves it off his concern. "I'll be fine soon enough."

Not even five minutes later, Lucy is resting her hands on her knees as she bends over in place. "Can we take a break?" she huffs. "I'm really tired."

"You want to take a break before setting up camp for the night?" Happy questions.

"Whoa, I don't want to camp out here. I want a real bed."

"We can find an inn if we keep walking," Natsu says. "The town isn't that far from here." After all, that is their destination.

She lets out a pitiful whine. "Walking requires effort." Lucy starts considering calling for a Celestial Spirit to lend a hand…

Natsu looks down at Happy. "Can you help me out, buddy?"

"Aye, sir!" he answers.

So Natsu slips off Lucy's bag and sets it down on the ground. While he moves his bookbag to the place Lucy's had been, Happy takes a hold of her bookbag and hovers into the air with it. It is easier for him to carry it this way.

With his free back to Lucy, he bends at his knees in front of her. "Hop on."

Without a word, she climbs on and adjusts herself so they are both comfortable.

Then Natsu stands up and starts walking. "Ugh, you're heavy," he teases.

"Hey, I'm trying to watch my weight!" she stresses.

"She's gained a few pounds," Happy snickers.

"Quiet, you cat!" Lucy hisses. Truth be told, she has. She cannot figure it out either, and the unknown reason is frustrating her. She likes her figure!

With her being so close to him, Natsu can easily pick up on her scent. She has been smelling different recently. She still smells like Lucy, but there is just something different about her. He cannot quite put a finger on why. But he knows it is not because she changed her perfume or anything like that. Her body has slowly been changing its natural scent.

"I bet Lucy will feel better with some fish in her belly!" Happy says.

To Lucy, any food sounds good right about now. Especially something tasty and satisfying.

"We'll get some at the inn," Natsu says. "How does that sound?"

"Yay, I'm excited for fish!" Happy cheers.

Lucy's head sinks down and she rests it on Natsu's right shoulder. She closes her warm brown eyes to relax. "Thank you," she whispers, slightly flexing her arms in a weak hug around his neck.

It is easy enough to hear her with his excellent hearing. "Anything for you, Luce."

 **x-X-x**

With a full belly and her long golden blonde hair pulled up into a bun, Lucy is soaking inside of a steaming hot bath. All she needs is a good book and she is will really be set. Oh, and maybe some music playing.

Lucy sinks down a bit more under the water and accidentally slips. She jerks in place, arms splashing in the water as she attempts to catch herself. She does. Wanting to dab off the dripping water from her face, Lucy looks around for her towel only to notice that it is nowhere to be seen. She will definitely need it later when she needs to dry off and get out. "Hey, Natsu?" she calls.

A moment later, he is standing on the other side of the shut bathroom door. "Yeah?"

"Is my towel out there?" Towels had been laid out on the bed when they entered the room. The odds that she forgot to grab it before going into the bathroom are likely.

"Yeah, it's still on the bed," he answers after checking.

"Can you bring it to me?"

Natsu does not need to be asked twice. After fetching a towel, he is quick to slip into the bathroom and close the door behind him. After all, Happy does not accidentally need to see inside. Natsu's mesmerizing dark green eyes immediately land on Lucy, taking her in. He has seen her naked plenty of times before. The topography of her body from head to toe is memorized. Every mark is committed to his memory.

They have secretly been dating for awhile now. Only Happy knows. Even the Dragon Slayers at the guild are completely unaware of their relationship. Bathing and changing into fresh clothes is key after spending time together. They way, they have been able to keep each other's scents off of the other. They are normally together since they are partners, but they do not entirely mix their scents together.

"Thank you," Lucy says.

"Are you sure you don't want me to join you?" Natsu asks, waggling his eyebrows. He is still by the door, just in case he needs to lock it as a precaution.

She makes a face. "We both can't fit comfortably in here. And you know that."

"I'm sure that we can make due…"

"We can when we're at my apartment. We'll do that when we get back from this job."

"You promise?"

"Promise."

He grins. "Okay then." Natsu approaches Lucy with the towel and hangs it over the nearby rack. He bends down on his knees and affectingly strokes the top of her head with his right hand. "Feeling any better?"

"A lot. The heat is helping."

"Well, when you get out, we can cuddle."

Her eyes light up. "Really?"

"Oh, please. We have the room to ourselves without worrying about somebody from the guild busting us."

She giggles. "You're right."

"And, if you want, I'm sure I can have Happy take a lil' flight for a bit…"

She gets what he means. "We'll see if I'm up for it, all right? No promises."

He completely respects her decision. "Lemme know if you change your mind." Natsu leans forward to smooch her left cheek. Then he showers her cheek with a bunch of sweet kisses and pecks.

She cannot help but giggle at his display of affection. "Natsuuu!"

"What?" he asks innocently. "I just love you so much."

She smiles. "I love you, too."

"Well, I love you with the power of a thousand suns exploding into a supernova of rainbows and Exceeds!"

She laughs at his silliness. "You are such a weirdo."

"Nah, you're my weirdo. You're my Luce." Then Natsu spins on his feet as he stands up straight in order to face the bathroom door.

Just to be playful, Lucy quickly reaches a hand out to smack Natsu's rear.

Being the dork that he is, he wiggles his behind for her as he walks away.

She laughs. "All right, you're definitely the weirdo in this relationship!"

"Nu-uh!" But he provides no real argument in his defense.

 **x-X-x**

Not much later, Lucy is dried off and wearing just an oversized tee as pajamas. It just so happens to be an old tee that belonged to Natsu. Since Happy is around, the couple cannot walk around and sleep naked like they have in the past. It is Natsu's favorite way to sleep with her, and Lucy's does not mind in the slightest.

Lucy exits the bathroom to find Natsu and Happy taking up a majority of the left side of the bed, the side closest to the bathroom.

Natsu turns his head to look over at her. "Hey, you're done. My turn."

"Can we snuggle now?" she asks. "Just a little bit before you bathe?"

As if he can deny his girlfriend. "C'mere, Luce."

She immediately gets into the bed and snuggles up to him, backing into him so his front half is spooning her back half. She sighs in contentment. He is like her personal furnace. It is especially wonderful to have him around when she is feeling cold.

Natsu focuses on his magic and wills it to course through his body. He is really acting like a personal furnace now.

Lucy's breathing slows down as sleepiness starts claiming her. By the time she has dozed off, Natsu slips away so he can clean up. He will not be slow about things since he is rather eager to join his Luce back in bed.

"Watch over her for me, buddy," Natsu instructs in a low voice, grabbing the other clean towel for him.

"Aye, sir!" he acknowledges, keeping is volume down. Then he adjusts his position so he is closer to Lucy's head before he curls up again.

Knowing Lucy is in good paws, Natsu enters the bathroom and softly closes the door behind him. He gets to work on stripping and cleaning himself off. Just as he is starting to relax in the bathtub, he hears a voice coming from the bed.

"Lucy?" Happy asks with groggy surprise. "Are you okay?"

The bathroom door flings open a moment later.

Natsu jumps in surprise at the sudden presence of his girlfriend. "Luce?"

Without even sparing a glance his way, Lucy rushes over to the toilet to kneel in front of it. With her head over the bowl, she starts vomiting. She might puke up a lung at the rate she is going at.

"Luce!" Completely forgetting a towel to cover up, he does his best to not slip on the floor that is becoming slick due to the water dripping off of him. He rushes to her side and avoids holding her since he is still wet. Instead, he gathers up her now down hair and holds it back for her.

She is grateful for his actions, but cannot voice her thought since her mouth is currently occupied with another task. When Lucy is finished and her body comes to a still, her skin feels clammy and hot all at the same time. She hates vomiting. Absolutely loathes it. It is one of the worst things to be sick with.

"C'mon, let's get you to bed," Natsu says after a moment. He can only hope that she will feel better now. Maybe that explains why she has not been herself since recently.

"Brush teeth," she mumbles. "Got to brush."

He is more than sure that she wants a clean mouth after what she just went through. "I'll help you then."

So while Lucy brushes her teeth, Natsu dries off and puts on some shorts. When she is finished with her task, Natsu carries Lucy princess style into the main part of the inn room. He discovers that the blankets are already pulled back thanks to Happy.

"Thanks, buddy," Natsu says.

"I hope Lucy is feeling better…" Happy says, keeping his voice down so he does not disturb her. She appears to be sleeping, but she might just have her eyes closed. He is not entirely sure.

In reality, Lucy is still conscious and miserable. She wants sleep to claim her so she does not feel a thing while sleeping.

"I hope so, too." Natsu sets Lucy down on the right side of the bed and crawls over her so he can snuggle up behind her. He gets to work on pulling the covers up.

Happy flies around until the room goes dark before he joins the couple on the bed. He takes an extra pillow for himself, not coming between Lucy and Natsu.

"I love you, Luce," Natsu whispers, and lightly kisses her.

She barely manages to mumble out some incoherent words.

"Night, you two," Happy says with a yawn.

"G'night," Natsu says.

Lucy remains quite.

"Sleep tight," Happy adds. "Dream of fish tonight."

* * *

 _A/N Part 1: Wow, first time I've written a non-au FT work in a long time! It's been fun having Happy talk for a change (I like writing him and his sassiness). And I know I said that_ _ **Ink & Icing**_ _will be the next FT work that I post, BUT THIS INSPIRED WORK HIT ME LIKE A BRICK. I literally started writing this work (5 chapters) super late on a Monday and finished it all that following Friday evening! I'll be updating the remaining chapters with each Monday to come until it's done!_

 _A/N Part 2: Once again, this work is inspired by_ _annahbabeess' post on Tumblr_ _! And the scene it's inspired from will be coming up :D I wanted some fluff to happen first XD Also, bonus points to those who recognize that certain line Natsu says to Lucy since it's from CAF!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Early the next morning, Natsu is returning to the inn after checking in with the gentleman who posted the job at Fairy Tail. He is planning on picking up Happy and leaving Lucy behind so she can still rest. He woke up throughout the night at random times just to make sure that she had been sleeping soundly. She did not wake up a single time.

As Natsu is approaching the room, he can hear two voices coming from inside.

"I still don't understand why he didn't wake me up to go with him," Lucy complains. "We're partners!"

"He just wanted to make sure you were going to be okay," Happy reasons. "You weren't doing so good before."

Natsu turns the knob and strides into the room, looking his girlfriend in the eyes. She does seem a little better, but that is not the point. "You should be resting," he says firmly.

"I'm fine," she assures him, slinging her packed bookbag onto the back. "I'm doing way better than last night. It was probably because of what I ate."

"I had the exact same meal as you," he deadpans.

"Uh, you had way more servings of it than me."

"So how come I haven't thrown up _once_?"

She shrugs. "Maybe it's because you have a stronger stomach than me."

"She does have a point," Happy agrees.

Natsu looks at Happy with a gasp. "Hey, whose side are you on?"

He flies behind Lucy for protection, looking over her left shoulder Natsu. "She's scarier than you… Especially when she's mad."

Lucy nods. "Right."

Natsu groans, not wanting to accept that the tables have turned against him. "Oh, man…"

"So did you get any more information about the job?" Lucy inquires, changing the subject.

"Yeah."

A moment of silence falls over the room.

"And… ?" Lucy presses, wanting more of an answer from him.

"And what?" Natsu asks, trying to be oblivious about things. He does not want to tell her the information that he learned.

"What did he say?"

"Things."

Lucy folds her arms under her chest. "You're not funny."

"I'm not trying to be."

"If I try doing this job without knowing what you know, I might end up in trouble," she points out.

Natsu folds his arms across his chest as well.

Just to copy the others, Happy does, too.

The couple has come to a standstill, but, in the end, Natsu is the first to crack. "So we know that Old Man Leeroy Jenkins' prized breeding horses are being stolen. Obviously, the goal is to figure out who's stealing 'em and to bring the horses back."

Both Lucy and Happy know this already. They are just waiting for Natsu to fill them in with more information to help piece more together.

"Jenkins "highly believes" that a competing horse breeding place is behind everything, but he has no proof," Natsu continues. "He gave me some documents with info about the other breeder and photos of the people who work there."

"So it's our job to investigate!" Happy reasons.

Natsu nods. "Right."

Lucy holds out a hand. "So let's see those documents."

Natsu does not budge in the slightest.

"Nat–" Lucy starts.

He locks eyes with her. "At the first sign- _first sign_ -of you not feeling well, you're done. You get to come back here and sit the job out. Happy and I will take care of the rest."

"Three," Lucy corrects, holding up three fingers with her outstretched hand. "Three strikes and I'm out. How about that?"

"Two."

" _Three_." She is firmly standing her ground.

"I vote for three, and that makes it two against one," Happy states, and moves a little closer to Lucy. "Sorry, Natsu…"

Sighing in defeat, Natsu reaches for the folded up documents in a pocket. He steps towards Lucy and hands them over, not letting go just yet when her hand closes around the papers. "Three," he agrees.

 **x-X-x**

The trio is currently walking through the forest, taking a back way to reach Old Man Leeroy Jenkins' competitor. After all, they want to have the upper hand with this investigation.

"Shouldn't we be doing this at night?" Happy asks.

"He does have a point–" A wave of nausea washes over Lucy, and she bites back a moan. Her stomach is churning and she thinks she might be sick.

"That's two," Natsu says, counting a second strike against her.

She gasps. "What? No way. That doesn't count."

He gives her a dubious look. "As if."

"Hey–" Lucy starts.

"Two," he interrupts. "One more and you're out. We agreed."

Her lips press firmly together. She needs to find a way to get back at her boyfriend even though he is acting this way because of her health. Maybe she can withhold cuddle sessions. Especially the cuddle sessions without clothes when they have alone time.

"I'll even have Happy go with you back to the inn so you get there okay," Natsu adds.

Happy decides to speak up after being quiet for a bit. "Whoa, leave me out of this! I don't want Lucy mad at me! And I don't want you mad at me either, Natsu!" He is done picking sides for a change.

Lucy's stubbornness is starting to rear its head. "Whether you like it or not, I'm staying. We're partners. That's what we've always done–"

"Hey, what are you doing here?" a teenage female voice demands.

The trio is instantly on guard, Natsu stepping closer to Lucy in order to offer protection.

Five newcomers step into view. The team is made up of people in different sizes, ages, and colors. The highlights of the group consist of a man missing his right eye with tan skin, a brute woman with pale skin, a lanky man with olive skin, a busty woman with dark skin, and a teenage girl with fair skin. From the documents Old Man Leeroy Jenkins provided, none of these faces match any of the photos. Something does not seem right here.

"These are private lands," the brute woman warns.

Natsu feigns innocence, thinking of a valid excuse due to the bookbags they have with them. "My girlfriend and I are looking for a spot to camp at. We didn't know any better. There weren't any signs."

"Oh, I hope we don't get in trouble," Lucy adds to go along with things. "We didn't mean any harm."

"Just turn around and walk away," the one-eyed man suggests.

"Well, maybe the girl can stay," the busty woman says in a flirtatious tone, eying Lucy up and down. "She's cute."

"And _taken_ ," Natsu clarifies.

"Yeah, taken!" Happy says to back up his buddy.

"So why don't the three of you get a move on?" the lanky man suggests.

Suddenly, the teenage girl gasps loudly.

The brute woman looks at her. "What's wrong?"

The teenage girl points a finger at Lucy and Natsu. "I recognize them! They're part of a guild that won the Grand Magic Games in the past! They're from Fairy Tail!"

Happy's guild mark is covered with his bag, but the ones Lucy and Natsu have are visible. There is no denying it.

The one-eyed man arches an eyebrow. "Is that so… ?" The venom in his voice is undeniable.

Natsu firmly stands his ground, already itching for a fight. He is starting to get fired up.

In the blink of an eye, the busty woman is standing behind Lucy. Her arms wrap around Lucy's waist and she giggles with delight. "Bye-bye!"

"Na–" Lucy starts, panic in her eyes.

Natsu can only watch the two teleport away, his hand reaching out for thin air. His heart constricts itself. Fire is boiling his blood now. "Happy, fly around and find her!" he shouts.

"Aye, sir!" He takes to the sky.

"Take down the cat!" the brute woman barks.

"I'm on it!" The lanky man pulls out a gun and starts aiming for Happy.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" A stream of fire comes forth from Natsu's mouth and interrupts the attack on Happy.

The lanky man rolls out of the way only to look up and discover Natsu preparing to land a punch. His eyes grow wide with shock.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Flames engulf Natsu's fist before it makes contact with the intended target: the lanky man's face. He flies backwards from the force, his back smacking into a tree. He crumples to the ground and does not even twitch.

Natsu means business. He will save Lucy. He will get her back. "Gimme back Luce!" he shouts, flexing his fists.

Before she can be stopped, the teenage girl races off with enhanced speed due to her magic. She is leaving her comrades to deal with Natsu while she helps out the busty woman with Lucy.

Knowing he will tend to her later, Natsu faces his other two opponents. "Bring it!" he growls.

The brute woman smashes her fists together, flexing her muscles. "No one has ever defeated me!" she boasts. Clearly, strength magic is her forte.

Suddenly, bushes rustle from the side, and Lucy runs into view. She appears unscratched and ready for action.

Natsu's heart just about leaps out of his chest. He knows that Lucy can handle herself, but seeing her unharmed is a wonderful sight to see! "Luce!"

"I took out that flirt and escaped!" she shouts.

However, something is off for Natsu. He does not smell her natural scent coming from her. He knows that the Lucy in front of him is not his Luce. The frustration in him grows and he takes it out on the fake, aiming his next attack at it. He closes his eyes just so he does not see what happens to the fake Lucy, even if it is not the real deal. "Fire Dragon's Roar!"

The fire consumes the fake, and nothing is left behind when it dissipates.

The one-eyed man gasps in shock. "You knew? How?"

Natsu twirls around to face him. "Give her back," he growls. "Now."

A hauntingly familiar scream pierces the air.

Chills race down Natsu's spine. His blood runs cold. Lucy. She is in trouble. She needs help. Now. "I'll burn your ashes to ash!" Natsu threatens, flames exploding from him. He will show no mercy. He will do whatever it takes to get his Luce back safe and sound.

Due to the one-eyed man's magic, copies of the brute woman appear and they all charge for Natsu. He knows which one is the real deal since his nose will not fail him. "Fire Dragon's Claw!" His fiery feet meet her strong fists, and he uses the force to boost himself upwards into the air. He quickly kicks off of a tree and propels himself towards the brute woman. "Fire Dragon's Roar!"

Standing her ground, the brute woman holds her arms up in defense against the flames. When she lowers her arms when the stream of fire disappears, she discovers that Natsu is ready to strike. He used his attack as a cover up so he could be right behind it when it went away!

"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" With his entire body is set ablaze, Natsu uses his cranium to headbutt the brute woman's own cranium.

Her body creates a small crater in the ground from impact alone. When the dust settles, only one stands up and Natsu does not bother to dust himself off. His glare is so cold that is might put Gray's magic to shame.

The one-eyed man cowers in fear, his copies since vanished. "D-don't hurt me!"

Natsu strides towards the man, a dark aura practically emanating from him. His lips remain in a firm line.

Taking step backwards, the one-eyed man attempts to explain himself. "We didn't sign up for this when we took the job. The owner only wanted us to steal horses from Old Man Leeroy Jenkins and hide them. We do our job and get paid. That's it!"

So that explains things. A third party had been involved to do all of the dirty work. The ties the thieves and competitor breeder have are loose in order to protect the breeder if fingers are pointed at them by Old Man Leeroy Jenkins.

However, that is not Natsu's focus right now.

The one-eyed man backs into a tree and gulps. He knows that his magic cannot save him.

Natsu pulls back his arm and swings with all of his might, completely drilling the one-eyed man in the face. Spit and a couple of teeth fly out of his mouth. He slumps against the tree before keeling over.

Now there are three unconscious bodies around Natsu. He will deal with them later. His top priority is finding Lucy.

He stands perfectly still and closes his eyes to help with his concentration. All while inhaling deeply to pick up Lucy's scent, Natsu trusts his ears to listen for her. He can hear the forest. He can hear Happy flying around. He focuses more until he can pinpoint Lucy. He knows how her heart can be in all mental and emotion states she has. He knows which heartbeat belongs to her.

However, there is something slightly throwing him off. Practically right on top of her is another heartbeat that is much fainter than Lucy's and the two others around her. It is different from the rest.

* * *

 _A/N: Since this isn't an au, I didn't wanna reuse a past villain/group. So I came up with five people with vague enough descriptions :P And omg, screw writing fight scenes. They aren't my fave to write XD Buuut that heartbeat though…_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Natsu is running at full speed to where Lucy is. He stays focused on her beating heart. That means that she is still alive. There is still hope. He flashes back to the Grand Magic Games. He already has seen Lucy die once. He does not want to go through that again. He had been so broken after that event. He still has random nightmares even now. But back then, Natsu promised that he will not let anything like that happen again. He promised that he will protect Lucy's future.

He shakes his head to clear his thoughts. No. She will be fine. She is Lucy after all. A Fairy Tail mage through and through. Besides, he will protect the one he loves. The love he feels for Lucy is different than what he feels for Happy and the rest of his guildmates. What he feels for her is special.

Her heartbeat is closer than ever, along with three others. Natsu leaps over a bush and comes to a stop when he enters a small clearing. Three bodies are lying on the ground, but his eyes stop on Lucy. She is on her back, arms and legs spread out. Her bookbag is by her side as though it had been cast away. "Luce!" Natsu shouts desperately as he makes his way towards her, fearing the worst. Did he fail her?

At the sound of her nickname only Natsu calls her, Lucy jolts into a sitting position and looks over at him. Not that she doubted he could not handle himself, but she is happy to see he is well. "Natsu!"

Relief washes over him. She is alive. Natsu drops to his knees by her side and hugs her tightly. He is touching the real Lucy. There is no way that she is a fake.

Happy calls their names from up above. "Natsuuu! Lucyyy!" He flies towards his friends and nearly crashes into them for a group hug. "I was worried!"

"We're all okay, buddy," Natsu assures him.

"Now that we're all back together," Lucy adds.

The trio breaks apart from their hug, and Happy stands on the ground. "Did you take them all out?" he asks, noticing the two unconscious ones nearby.

"I had some Celestial Spirits help me out," Lucy replies, thankful for their aid. "Loke and Gemini were helpful. Well, I called for Gemini, but Loke appeared shortly after that."

Speaking of her fighting… "What happened earlier?" Natsu questions. "I heard you scream."

"But I didn't scream…" Then something dawns on Lucy. "Oh, that was Gemini. As me. I guess when Gemini was hit by an attack, they sounded like me…"

Natsu sighs in relief. "Then you're okay."

"I'm tired. That's for sure."

Taking a deep breath, Natsu exhales loudly. "That's okay." Then he focuses on Lucy. He can hear her heartbeat and he can also hear the fainter heartbeat from earlier sounding from her lower torso. His breath hitches.

"You okay?" Happy asks, having heard his sharp intake.

Without putting much thought into his actions, Natsu places a hand against Lucy's belly. He knows what the source of the second heartbeat is now.

She blinks in surprise. "What are… you doing?"

"Don't you hear it?" Then he realizes that she cannot possibly hear it since she is not a Dragon Slayer.

"So what if my stomach sounds like some dying animal right now? I'm hungry!"

"That's not what I mean."

She is confuzzled. "Then what do you mean?"

He looks at his girlfriend closely. Then he sees it in her eyes. She is confused. She does not understand what he is talking about. "There's a heartbeat," he says. "It's not as loud as yours, but it still counts."

Lucy looks down to where Natsu still has his hand on her stomach. "Heartbeat… ?"

Happy slaps his paws against his head in disbelief. "Is a fish alive in her belly?"

Natsu cracks up while Lucy puffs her cheeks out in dismay. "As if _that's_ the reason," she says.

"Then what else could it be?" Happy asks.

The gears in her mind start turning. "Well, for starters–" Lucy's voice catches in her throat for a moment. Things are starting to add up. "I'm not sick. I'm just…" But her voice trails off. She cannot bring herself to say it.

Natsu grins from ear to ear. "Pregnant. You're pregnant."

"Pregnant!" Happy gasps.

"Which explains some things," Lucy says. "A lot of things."

"Like why you smell different," Natsu comments.

She takes offense. "Hey!"

"Not like that," he assures her. "I meant, like, your natural scent is different."

"That's probably because of my body changing with the pregnancy."

"So what about when you got sick last night?" Happy asks.

"That was probably morning sickness," she replies.

He tilts his head to one side in confusion. "But you got sick at night. Shouldn't it be night sickness instead?"

"The time of day doesn't affect morning sickness. That just means my body is changing because of the baby." She gasps. Baby. She just said that word referring to her own baby. The one Natsu is the father of. "Natsu, we're having a baby…"

"The first of the thirty-two others to follow," he jokes, recalling a time she told him about a dream she had where they had thirty-three children. He never lets her forget about it.

She playfully rolls her eyes. "We'll see how I am after this first one."

"Wait, what if it's more than one?" Happy inquires.

Lucy thinks back to what she knows about her family and extended family. She is not entirely sure about any twins, triplets, and so on. And she is really left in the dark on Natsu's side. But then she remembers that Natsu said can only hear one other heartbeat coming from her. "There's only one. Like Natsu said, there's another heartbeat coming from me that isn't mine."

"I can't wait to meet 'em," Natsu says.

She smiles. "Me, too." Suddenly, something dawns on her. "I'm pregnant! And I'm not even married!" She never planned on being pregnant before marriage! She always planned on being married first and then making a family!

"So let's get married then," Natsu reasons, no hesitation in his voice.

She blinks once. Twice. "What?" she whispers.

Natsu takes both of her hands in his two. "Luce, let's get married. You and me." He softly smiles at her. "It's always more fun when we're together anyways. Besides, you've been stuck with me since we first met in Hargeon town. You've got no shot at escaping me now."

She starts tearing up. "Natsu…"

"I promise you that I'll take care of you," he continues. "I'll make you happy. Whatever it takes to keep you smiling. I'll do that for you. Because"-he grins-"you're my Luce. And I love you."

"Pssst, Lucy!" Happy stage whispers. "This is where you say yes!"

She slips out of his grip only to throw her arms around his neck. She hugs him tightly, squeezing her eyes shut as some tears leak past her. "Of course!"

Natsu's heart swells with happiness. He will never forget this moment.

"I call being the ring bearer!" Happy says.

Lucy and Natsu stop hugging, but they keep a hold of one hand from the other person. "I won't have it any other way," Lucy says. "You're perfect for the roll."

Happy cheers.

And speaking of rings… "On our way home, I have a favor to call in from a friend," Natsu says. "We'll hafta stop by his place for a bit."

Lucy arches an eyebrow. "Do I know this friend?"

"Not in the slightest," Natsu chuckles.

"Oh, yeah!" Happy gasp when he remembers something. "When I was flying around looking for Lucy, I found a camp with horses all tied up. I think they're the missing ones from Old Man Leeroy Jenkins."

"Good job, buddy!" Natsu praises.

Lucy nods. "So let's get the horses, bring them to Old Man Leeroy Jenkins, and get paid so we can go home."

"Wait, what about the people we fought?" Happy asks, looking over at the unconscious two. "Or should we just leave them?"

"They're thieves hired by the competing breeder," Natsu says.

"How do you know that?" Lucy inquires.

"One of 'em spilled some details to me," he replies.

"So we'll bring them with us," she says.

"Aye, sir!" Happy shouts, a tiny fist in the air.

 **x-X-x**

The trio is standing outside of a store only Natsu and Happy have ever been inside of before. More specifically, is a fancy jewelry store. Lucy knows the name just because it is so known and expensive.

Lucy turns her head to look at Natsu. "Natsu… ?"

"C'mon." Still holding her right hand with his left, Natsu leads the way inside. Happy brings up the rear behind them, flying so he can be level with them.

Everything is so glittery and sparkly behind glasses cases. Lucy is more than sure the cheapest piece of jewelry is way beyond her price point. "So why are we here… ?" she asks, taking everything in.

Natsu scratches the back of his head with his free hand. "I might have proposed without a ring so we're here to get you one. And we're picking it together so I don't mess up and get something you don't like. You're gonna be the one wearing it so I wanna make sure you like it."

Her heart melts a little because of his thoughtfulness. "We're partners," she assures him. "We do things together."

"You _looove_ each other," Happy says in a sing-song voice.

Natsu pecks Lucy's lips for a chaste kiss. "Yeah, we do!"

A woman wearing the store's uniform approaches the trio. "How can I help you today?"

"Hey, is Jeb around?" Natsu asks.

"He should be back soon from taking a break."

"Can you hit him up for me? Let him know that Natsu's here to see him?"

"I can try getting a hold of him for you."

As if on cue, one of the front doors to the store opens because of someone entering.

Natsu sniffs the air and turns, still holding Lucy's hand, to see the newcomer. "Hiya, Jeb! Great timing!"

The middle-aged man is short and stout in stature, but carries himself like he is ten feet tall. "Natsu, my boy!" he exclaims. "Look at you!" Then he holds his arms out. "Bring it in!"

Natsu lets go of Lucy in order to hug Jeb, stooping down for the embrace. "How's the wife?" Natsu inquires, acting as though they are old friends. "How are the grandkids?"

"I'm a great-grandfather now!" he replies happily. "And the others are all doing well!"

"Wow! So cool!"

"Oh, it looks like Jeb found you," the woman worker chuckles. "I'll leave him to it." After a quick bow at the waist, she walks away.

Lucy is still taking everything in. She is not entirely sure how the duo knows each other. Or why their paths even crossed in the first place.

"Hey, it's my turn!" Happy says.

Natsu and Jeb break apart so Happy can get in on some hugging action as well.

All right. Maybe Lucy is dreaming. Maybe some sort of pregnancy hormone is getting to her… "Um, how do you three know each other?" she asks, feeling entirely left out of the loop.

When Jeb and Happy stop hugging, Jeb motions dramatically at Natsu. "This boy helped me out some years ago. Stopped a bunch of robbers for me _single handedly_. It would have been a tremendous loss for me if he wasn't around to help out."

Happy nods. "It's true! I saw it all happen!"

"So I told Natsu that he could come to me for help. Speaking of which…" Jeb looks up at Natsu. "What do you need help with?"

He steps away from Jeb in order to stand behind Lucy and hug her, the left side of his face next to the right side of hers. "I need an engagement ring for my fiancée," he responds with a big grin.

Fiancée. It is the first time he has referred to her as his fiancée out loud. Pink tints Lucy's cheeks. She will have to adjust to him calling her that up until they are married. Likewise, she will call him her fiancé until then.

Jeb's face lights up. "Congratulations!" Then he realizes something. "Wait, you proposed to her _without_ a ring?"

"The proposal was… spontaneous," Natsu explains. "Totally in the moment."

"It was perfect," Lucy adds, already cherishing the memory.

Jeb smiles at the newly engaged duo. "And I'll personally make sure that the ring is perfect as well. Along with the wedding bands." Then he looks at up Natsu. "All free of charge as thanks for what you did for me back then! I told you that I'd look out for you, right?"

Lucy is highly surprised. "Eh?!"

"Wow!" Happy exclaims.

Natsu only smiles. "Thanks, Jeb!"

Then Jeb clasps his hands together. "Then let's get started!"

"So, Luce, where do you wanna start?" Natsu asks.

Magic helps speeds up the process of preparing the rings when the choices are made. It makes choosing and bringing home the selection possible all in the same day. The trio ends up walks away with two rings in separate boxes and another on a certain finger of Lucy's left hand.

* * *

 _A/N Part 1: When it came time for my engagement ring, my now fiancé and I went together for the same reason that Natsu had. We're a team and we can do things together. Plus, he didn't wanna get me something that I didn't like XD I WAS HELLA NERVOUS THE ENTIRE TIME. It all worked out in the end, and I'm still happy with my choice! :D_

 _A/N Part 2: For those who don't know, I posted my first Gruvia work last week and it's called_ _ **Open Your Eyes.**_ _It's comfort/good feels based, and inspired from FT's Ch 499. I just posted a sequel called_ _ **Open Your Heart**_ _which is rated M for certain smutty reasons. I told myself I'd make a second part if it reached a certain number of notes on Tumblr. It did. Open Your Heart isn't Ink & Icing, but I considered it practice for writing it!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Natsu practically kicks in the doors that lead into one of Fairy Tail's larger rooms in the guild. It seems as though all the guild members are inside upon the trio's arrival.

"Yo!" Natsu greets.

"We're back!" Happy announces.

Lucy is nervous. It is almost time to make an announcement. Well, a few actually.

Everyone is staring not because of Natsu and Happy's loudness. They all are staring because Natsu and Lucy are holding hands. He is specifically holding her left one with his right in order to hide the engagement ring for now.

From behind the bar where some people are sitting, Mirajane squeals with delight. "Finally!"

Gajeel folds his arms across his chest as he leans against a table that is nearby the table where the members of Team Shadow Gear are. "So Salamander finally asked Bunny Girl out on a date, huh?"

Natsu grins, the kind of grin that means he has the upper hand. "Oh, it's more than that…"

"Juvia no longer has to worry about Love Rival!" she cheers, sitting at another table with three others and her beloved Gray.

"I don't think you've ever had to worry about Lucy as a love rival," Wendy comments.

"Never," Laki agrees. "Ever."

"Besides, you're dating Gray now," Kinana points out. "He's a taken man."

"Aww, Lu, I'm so happy for you!" Levy says from her seated spot with Jet and Droy at the same table.

"But there's more!" Happy says, eager to get the real show on the road.

"More?" Lisanna asks, turning in her seat from up at the bar.

"More what?" Bickslow adds, sitting right next to Lisanna.

Natsu looks at Lucy, giving her hand a little squeeze. "Can I tell 'em?" He is practically bouncing on the balls of his feet like an excited kid.

She laughs. "Go for it."

"Woo!" Then he looks at everyone before raising his and Lucy's connected hands into the air. "We're engaged! I'm gonna marry Luce!"

"Atta boy, Natsu!" Cana cheers before chugging some alcohol from her mug. She might as well drink from a keg at the rate she downs alcohol.

"Did all of that happen just while you guys were gone on the trip?" Erza inquires, actually stopping a moment from eating her delicious strawberry cake. "Dating and becoming engaged I mean."

"Well, getting engaged did," Lucy replies, lowering their raised arms to their sides.

"The baby part happened, uh, maybe six weeks ago," Natsu adds dropping a really unexpected piece of information.

Mirajane faints, but Laxus catches her before she hits the floor.

Cana spits out her mouth full of alcohol, spraying Max right in the face.

From where he is sitting on the bar, Makarov clutches his chest above his heart. "Can the guild handle an offspring of Natsu?" he asks himself, and his voice drops to a whisper. "Can it handle more than one?"

Erza's eyes are wide open and she drops her fork, it clattering onto the plate. "B-baby… ?"

"You two _did the do_?" Gray sputters, all of his clothes now gone except his boxers.

Juvia is too happily stunned to pick up Gray's discarded clothes from the floor for him.

"That's manly!" Elfman voices.

Natsu looks Gray in the eye. " _Multiple_ times already, Ice Princess."

Lucy's face heats up. "N-Natsu!"

"That's even manlier!" Elfman adds.

"Elfman, shh!" Lisanna scolds lightly.

"Wait, exactly how long has all of this been going on?" Freed inquires, feeling curious about the matter.

"And how come none of the Dragon Slayers picked up on it?" Gajeel questions.

"Baths and changing into fresh clothes," Natsu answers, and makes a face. "Duh."

"I've known all along!" Happy boasts.

"I'm surprised that he managed to keep it a secret for so long," Carla comments.

Pantherlily nods in agreement. "It's truly a big feat for him." Then he goes back to eating his kiwi.

"I think it's time we all got a back story on you two!" Evergreen says.

Bisca smiles, moving her daughter to hold her on her lap. "Oh, I'd love to hear about that!"

Asuka nods. "Me, too!"

"Me three!" Alzack adds.

"We've been dating–" Lucy starts.

"Secretly dating," Natsu interjects.

"–for some time now."

"A looong time," Happy adds.

"So why keep it a secret?" Wendy asks.

"It was something just Luce and I wanted to have," Natsu replies, making it seem so simple. "And Happy found out because he's Happy."

His fur practically tingles as he recalls a memory that he wishes he can someday forget. However, it has been burned into his mind as the moment had been happening. "They didn't lock Lucy's door one time…"

"That had to suck…" Gajeel comments, thinking back to an experience of his own. He accidentally stumbled across Gray and Juvia making out right after they became an item. Juvia had to physically hold Gajeel back from pounding Gray with an attack.

"But what about _the baby_?" Erza inquires with interest and excitement. She missed out on Asuka being born and growing up. Now she will have another chance at seeing Fairy Tail's next generation. Although, she wants to add to it someday…

"I've been showing signs of early pregnancy, but never really noticed," Lucy replies. "Well, I kind of, sort of did, but I didn't think that I was pregnant. Natsu realized it before me. He happened to notice it yesterday when we were out on our job."

"Dragon Slayers, just listen," Natsu instructs. "Listen for Luce's heartbeat."

The guild falls quiet as the three other Dragon Slayers do as they are told.

Still holding an unconscious Mirajane, Laxus is the first to speak. "I hear it…"

"Hear what?" Jet asks.

"She has two heartbeats coming from her," Gajeel replies in awe.

"One is hers, and the second one belongs to the baby," Wendy explains. "It's fainter than hers, but I can still hear it."

"Wow, that's so cool," Droy comments.

Erza jumps to her feet, slamming her hands slamming onto the table. "It's time we start planning Lucy and Natsu's wedding!"

"Uh, can we start that tomorrow?" Lucy just wants to take the rest of the day to relax since she has been gone. Plus, she wants to spend time with Natsu, her fiancé and father of her unborn child.

Oh, Erza is too fired up to let this moment go. "You want to be married before the baby arrives, yes? Then now is the time to start!"

Lucy looks at Natsu for help. She wants to plan things out another day. Perhaps tomorrow. Just not today. Definitely not today.

"Whelp, time to go." Natsu whisks Lucy off of her feet and holds her princess style. "She's tired from the job so she hasta rest. Gotta think of the baby and all. We'll be back later. Maybe. Who knows? Maybe we'll be back here tomorrow."

"Hey, Natsu, I'm gonna stay here," Happy says. He wants to chat with Carla, but he is more than sure the engaged couple will want some alone time together.

"Okay, buddy." With that, Natsu turns to exit the guild.

"Show us your ring later, Lu!" Levy calls.

"Later!" she responds. For now, she wants to relax and just be with her fiancée.

"Does it matter whose place we go to?" Natsu asks, putting distance between them and Fairy Tail.

"Do you have a preference?"

"Uh, we'll go to your place. You'll be more comfortable there." Especially because Natsu needs to tidy up the home that he and Happy share. But he leaves that part out.

"Can we take a bath together then?"

"Whatever you want, Luce."

"Back rubs?"

"I'll do a full body rub if you want."

Her eyes light up. "Really?"

"Sure."

"Then I'll take you up on that after the bath."

"Sounds good." He is more than happy to do things that make her happy. She is more than worth it.

"Can you use lotion while rubbing?"

"I'll let you be in charge of picking which one you'll want. You have a lotta bottles to choose from."

"Thank you," Lucy says suddenly.

"Don't thank me yet. I haven't done anything for you yet."

"Then thank you for being Natsu."

He smiles big. "And thanks for being my Luce."

 **x-X-x**

Inside of Lucy's clean apartment, she and Natsu are cuddling up on her bed, facing one another. With floral lotion practically covering her from head to toe, she is just wearing an oversized tank top that stops mid-thigh. Natsu is just wearing backup shorts that he keeps at her apartment.

"You should move in with me," Natsu says, striking up a different conversation. "You have more of a reason to than ever before."

"You do have a point." Lucy really has no reason to put it off much longer. "I have yet to renew my rent, and that'll be up soon."

He grins. "Seems like things are lining up for us."

"And we'll be using an actual bed to sleep in. You can still keep your hammock, but a real bed is what we'll use."

"Aye, sir," he acknowledges. "Do you wanna use this bed?"

"This bed is great for one person. Somewhat of a tight squeeze with two people. Even more so with an Exceed." One who likes taking up a lot of space with his little body.

"Just imagine adding a baby to the mix," Natsu muses.

"And when that baby is a child, imagine that child wanting to sleep in our bed."

"Our child," he corrects. "And our kid will totally do that."

"And family cuddles will be great."

He can imagine it now, and he is eager for that time to come. And before he knows it, it will be happening.

"Hey, Natsu?" she asks.

"Yeah?"

"Starting tomorrow, do you want to start planning our wedding?"

His heart squeezes. He has been waiting to hear those words. "Yeah. That'll make me happy. Just like you make me happy."

"We'll have to invite our other friends from different guilds."

"And don't forget about your Celestial Spirits." He knows what they all mean to her.

She grins. "As if we'll leave them out. Oh, and we'll have to tell them soon!"

"On top of that, we'll hafta prepare for the baby," he points out.

"I should start seeing a doctor for prenatal care."

"Pre-what'll?"

"You'll see." Then she gasps at a realization. "Finding a dress is going to be hard…" She knows that they take time to make if they are bought new. At least that way she can order it in a larger size for the future. But if she purchases a sample, it will come as in with no room for a growing belly.

"You don't hafta wear a dress," Natsu says. He does want her to be comfortable, especially on her big day.

"I'm not wearing my birthday suit to my own wedding," she deadpans. "Especially as a pregnant lady."

Natsu cracks up as he imagines it. "I didn't mean _that_. I meant, like, if you wanted to wear your pajamas you could."

"O-oh… I guess that does make sense…" Now she feels like an idiot.

He sobers up and adds in a husky voice, "The birthday suit will come afterwards. Just for me to see."

Now it is her turn to laugh. "I doubt that you're going to want to do the do with your very pregnant wife."

He focuses on a single word she just said. "Wife." He smiles. "My wife. My Luce."

She likes being his Luce. She always has. Even on days when he is causing trouble and burning things. He is her Natsu after all.

He blinks a few times, snapping back into reality. "Sorry. Was lost there for a bit. Thinking of you."

She playfully boops his nose. "Found you."

He grins. "I was thinking about our future. About our baby." Even now if he focuses, he can hear the second heartbeat coming from Lucy. He is still amazed by it.

"What are you hoping for?" Lucy asks. They never have talked about it before. Or even possible names.

"I'm hoping for a girl," he admits.

She always figured that he wants a boy, one to be just like him. "Well, I want a boy." One just like him.

"I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"It'll be a long waiting period." She can imagine that the upcoming months will bring them.

"We'll make it through. I promise."

She smiles. "I know that we will."

* * *

 _A/N: Yoo, so now the guild knows! :) And NaLu finally had some alone time :D I didn't describe any of the rings so y'all can use your imagination :P Oh, don't forget, the next chapter is the last chapter!_


	5. Chapter 5: Epilogue

**Chapter 5: Epilogue**

Lucy is at home with Happy as well as her two children at the ages of almost five and one.

The younger one, Luna, has inherited Lucy's blonde locks that have somewhat have a wild streak to them. Her brown eyes are always full of wonder as she learns new things every day. Her personality is more like Natsu in the ways that she eats and sleeps a whole lot like him.

Nashi looks more like a Heartfilia than a Dragneel with his neat blond hair and brown eyes. He acts more like Natsu than Lucy, but his love of books clearly comes from his mother. But of all things, his newly tapped magic is showing potential to be rather cold…

With Luna on her right hip, Lucy blinks at the scene before her. A chair in the family room is frozen solid in a chunk of ice. It seems abnormal, but abnormal is what Lucy is used to. Especially because of her husband.

Hands on hips, Nashi is beaming with pride at what he accidentally accomplished. He and Happy had been goofing around at the time.

Lucy looks away from the ice to look down at her son. "And you did this?"

He nods eagerly. "Yep!"

"It's true!" Happy says to back up him even though there is no doubt that Nashi did not to it. "I saw it all happen!"

She cannot help but smile. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Do you think that Dad will be, too?"

Yesterday Natsu went away on a job with Gray, and he should be arriving home this evening. That is if the two do not take longer because they are butting heads and trying to one up each other like they always do. Fire and ice still do not get along.

"Oh, I'm more than sure of it," Lucy replies.

Nashi pumps a fist into the air. "Woo!" Then an idea pops into his head. "I'll hafta practice so I can get good! Really good! That'll surprise Dad!"

"And he'll see how great of a mage you are!"

He grins up at his mother. "Thanks, Mom!"

"Let's go outside in the backyard," Happy suggests.

"Yes, no more freezing furniture," Lucy agrees.

"Aye, sir!" Nashi and Happy say in unison.

Then Nashi points a finger at Happy. "I'll race you!"

"You're on!"

The two take off, but skid to stops when the front door to the home opens up.

"Yo!" Natsu greets loudly, announcing his presence.

"Oh, he's home earlier than I expected." Not that Lucy can complain about it. She only hopes that everything went smoothly for her husband and Gray.

"Dad!" Nashi calls, a big smile already on his face. "Dad, we're in here!"

"Come look!" Happy adds.

Natsu strides into the room, his bookbag over one shoulder, and freezes in place. He stares in disbelief at the scene in front of him. Then he slowly turns to look at his wife. "Ice… ?"

She nods.

He seems highly confused. "Was Ice Princess here?" He sniffs the air, not catching a trace of his scent.

"I did it!" Nashi says proudly, hoping for praise from his father.

Natsu looks at Nashi. Then at Lucy. Back to Nashi one last time. Finally, he stops on Lucy. "Are you sure he's related to me… ?"

Lucy puffs out her cheeks. "Oh, there's no denying that he's your son!"

"Yeah!" Nashi agrees.

"Nashi totally did it," Happy says. "It was so cool."

"Ha, _cool_!" Nashi laughs. "That's a pun!"

Natsu cracks up. "That's _punny_ of you to say!" he jokes.

Lucy playfully rolls her eyes. Her and her boys…

Bending on one knee, Natsu sets his bookbag down onto the floor and holds his arms out for his son. "C'mere, bud!"

Nashi runs at him for a strong embrace.

Lucy merely smiles as the two hug it out.

"I'm proud of you!" Then Natsu picks up Nashi and holds him up from under his arms. "So proud of you!"

Nashi beams with happiness. "Thanks, Dad!"

"We're all proud of you, Nashi," Lucy says.

"Aye, sir!" Happy agrees.

When Nashi is back on his feet, he looks up at his father. "Hey, do you think Uncle Gray can teach me?"

Some of Natsu's pride as a Fire Dragon Slayer takes a jab. Even more so, the fact he is Nashi's father takes a jab as well. Gray definitely is a great teacher for Nashi since their magic types are similar.

"It won't hurt to ask," Lucy says since Natsu is not saying anything about the matter.

"Yeah…" Natsu weakly agrees.

"But let him spend some time with Juvia first, all right?" After all, Lucy is more than sure that they want some time together since she wants time with Natsu.

"Okay!" Nashi turns to face Happy. "Can we go outside now? I wanna start practicing!"

"I'm going to beat you there!" Then Happy goes into the air and heads for the backdoor.

"Hey, that's cheating!" Nashi shouts, chasing after Happy.

"Nu-uh! It counts since I'm an Exceed!"

Their noises carry outside into the backyard where they can be as loud as they want.

"Those two always make so much noise when they're together," Lucy comments, thinking the same goes for Natsu and Happy even now.

"Luna doesn't seem to mind," Natsu chuckles, picking up his bookbag and standing up straight.

Lucy looks down only to find she is out and sleeping peacefully. "She'll sleep through _anything_."

"She always has."

Truth be told, Lucy wishes that she has that skill. It seems to come in handy for Luna.

Then Natsu saunters over to his wife, bending his head down slightly in order to brush his nose against the left side of her exposed neck. His lips ghost against her skin as he speaks. "Why don't you put Luna down so I can go down on you… ?" he suggests in a husky voice.

Lucy's face heats up. "N-Natsu!" She is thankful that Happy and Nashi are not around to hear.

Rather than laughing because of her reaction, his body becomes rigid. Natsu can smell through the amount of perfume and lotion that Lucy is currently wearing. It is masking something that she is trying to hide from him. Well, tried to hide. He recognizes this particular smell from her. Her natural scent is in the early stages of slowly but surely changing.

Natsu's heart skips a beat and his face lights up. He pulls back his head to look at her face. "You're pregnant!"

She groans in frustration, her mood slightly deflating. "Why can't I ever surprise you? Even just one time? I'll take just one time."

"Three for zero now," he brags, and then becomes excited. "So when did you find out?"

"I took a test after you had left just to confirm my suspicion. I thought wearing all of the lotion and perfume I have on would hide it from you…"

Natsu taps the side of his nose with his free left hand. "As if."

Lucy simply harrumphs, knowing she might never trick his nose.

"So we have Nashi and Luna," Natsu comments. "The next one will be a tie breaker."

"I guess we'll have to wait and see which we get." Then Lucy walks away without a word, heading towards Luna's nursery.

Natsu blinks. "Luce?" He had expected her to stick around so they can still chat.

She looks over her shoulder. "I never said I wasn't interested in your offer from earlier…" Then she winks before rounding the corner.

He grins. "I'm all fired up!"

* * *

 _A/N Part 1: I know a lotta people depict Nashi as a girl, buuut I had an idea with Nashi as a boy! Of course, to balance it out, he has a younger sister named Luna! So both names are derived from Lucy and Natsu! Although, I'm not sure what the third pregnancy will lead to… I'm sure that they'll look more like Lucy since her gene game is strong, much like the other Heartfilias we've met so far in the manga/anime :P_

 _A/N Part 2: Thanks for reading this work :D I had a ton of fun writing and, and I can see an improvement since I first posted/finished my first fanfic!_


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